Round two samples of the Production Defects Cupping Event have been evaluated and the Cuppers comments are below. In this week’s samples the Cuppers compared two benchmark teas from well known gardens along with their “manipulated” pairs. The two defects investigated this week were the effects of the leaves being over-fired and over-fermented. These are both common manufacturing defects and the tea makers try hard to adapt to batch by batch variations in ambient humidity, temperature and internal leaf moisture. In the specially made defective samples the effects and undesirable attributes are easily recognizable. This is very useful in trying to recognize faults in standard production teas where the defects are less pronounced and combine with other positive and negative elements.

Comments:- A nice tea over all. Lingering finish is nice.
- What intrigues me is how there can be totally green leaf with totally oxidized leaf in the same batch unless they are blended. I have trouble imagining how it is manufactured to have this diversity otherwise.
- Pleasant, nice mouth feel and satisfying
- very nice balanced liquor with a complex taste between stewed fruit and biscuity
- Picked it as Giddephar. One of my favourites.
- Second infusion produced a nice, pleasant rounded flavor
- Flavor noticeable more pronounced as liquor cooled
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- a little round and soft, but a generally pleasing and agreeable Darjeeling character.

Rank: Combined scores for all Cuppers. Cuppers were asked to score the sample based on four criteria. The chart below shows the overall ranking of each attribute. The rank range was 1 to 5 with one indicating most appealing and 5 indicating least appealing. A higher number indicates more Cuppers agreed on the same ranking.

Comments:- Round, stalky taste rather than leafy. Sour taste lingers. Could have been a good tea if not damaged by moisture. 2nd infusion some citrusy notes come through but still has musty taste.
- The over-firing doesn't seem like a mistake to me. The darker notes and muskiness are desirable qualities to me while the bitter astringency is not.
- No lasting flavor except a char taste.
- a not very appealing liquor dull and not rich in aroma (toasty) some unpleasant earthy taste
- Vile. Incredibly different to the 'A" sample. Required several glasses of water afterwards
- Second infusion was tasteless
- Better in mouth than expected at least until charcoal on finish
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- very disagreeable musty moldy aroma and flavor

Rank: Combined scores for all Cuppers. Cuppers were asked to score the sample based on four criteria. The chart below shows the overall ranking of each attribute. The rank range was 1 to 5 with one indicating most appealing and 5 indicating least appealing. A higher number indicates more Cuppers agreed on the same ranking.

Comments:- Nice tea over all. Fairly well balanced. A better sorting would have improved it. Second infusion - some perfumy remains but is lighter. Complexity is almost gone but still retains some sweetness. Not satisfying but pleasant.
- The slight astringency left a bit of dryness on the tongue. Based on the aroma of the dry leaf, I had anticipated a little more flavor in the liquor. The deep orange liquor is beautiful and clear but I had hoped for a little more flavor, based on the aroma of the dry leaf.
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- A very interesting liquor with a pervasive flower (orchid) aroma accompanied by some fruit (prune) fresh and long lasting
- Again, picked this one, and remembered tracking across Spain with a bag of it. Bought back memories.
- Almost tasted as described in the defect section. Not sure if not mislabled
- Liquor aroma did not measure up to leaf aroma across multiple cuppings. Disappointing.
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- more complexity to the aroma and somewhat in the flavors

Rank: Combined scores for all Cuppers. Cuppers were asked to score the sample based on four criteria. The chart below shows the overall ranking of each attribute. The rank range was 1 to 5 with one indicating most appealing and 5 indicating least appealing. A higher number indicates more Cuppers agreed on the same ranking.

Flavor:- Slight sourness with a bit of astringency at first. Perfumy from green leaves but seems like leaves weren't withered long enough.
- There was a very slight edginess - slighly bitter - but not unpleasantly so.
- orange peel, heavy astringency, fading
- flat poor in aroma toasty astringent
- Almost no taste, Fleeting astringency
- Nice even flavor, fully rounded, no bitterness but some astringency
- Flavor better than 4A. Had good under and over tones
- Thin weak body with some toasted wood notes finish unpronounced at best
- floral, light bitterness, astringent
- vague, lack of definition of flavor components, no high notes

Comments:- Still has hints of fruit. Not bad but could be better if astringency was less. Not enough moisture removed during processing? Second infusion - hints of Pepper flower? Floral note lingers in the finish but less pronounced. Still detect the "sappy", wet quality but not objectionable. More body than sample 4-A.
- I tried this with a little more leaf and liked the boldness of the liquor a little more. If this is over-fermented, I would say that it brings a little more "umph" to the cup. Doesn't seem like such a bad thing.
- Citrus notes are nice, but does not pair well with liquor flavor
- A very flat and simple liquor, not interesting at all, the astringency is the dominant impression
- Gaaahhhh! Waste of hot water. No taste to it.
- Flavor better than 4A. Had good under and over tones
- Really unremarkable. Hint of oyster shell on dry leaf odd but consistently noted.
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- lacking high notes, interest. Dull and less complex than it's counterpart.

Rank: Combined scores for all Cuppers. Cuppers were asked to score the sample based on four criteria. The chart below shows the overall ranking of each attribute. The rank range was 1 to 5 with one indicating most appealing and 5 indicating least appealing. A higher number indicates more Cuppers agreed on the same ranking.